


Damianos of the Al Ghul's, practicing witch

by alldamianwayne



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Batkids Age Reversal, Damian Wayne-centric, Graphic Description of Corpses, Healing, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Other, Self-Discovery, Self-Doubt, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:20:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28629444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alldamianwayne/pseuds/alldamianwayne
Summary: hidden in isolation, Damian is facing his biggest enemy - himself, but a few smaller enemies attempt to interrupt his self loathing with their petty squabbles to try draw him out but only one instance can truely bring the boy out of himself
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Damian Wayne
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	1. self destruction

**Author's Note:**

> no. 10 on my list of au's i'd like to write on twitter is a fantasy story about witch Damian but i cannot begin to describe what this is going to be, on one hand its pure self indulgent fantasy mixed in with my favourite comic boy but its not particularly planned out or clearly written so good luck with reading it!
> 
> While the tags might seem daunting its basically a journey of Damian not taking care of himself to valuing himself eventually.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian lives as Damianos, a witch in isolation who has to deal with too many of his own issues for people to expect any more form him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is going to be a reverse robin au on top of being a fantasy but I wont be too strict about the differences in their ages aligning with canon but Damian is starting at 15 years old
> 
> feel free to suggest what kind of fantasy roles you want the other batfamily members to act as either in the comments or on twitter, Jason has already been assigned as a wolf boy!

At the beginning of the decade the centre tree had been the most unapproachable place in the entire forest, separated from the other trees by a deep chasm adorned by vines slinking downwards from the edges. Roots strong but taking every effort of the sole person living there to keep it alive, mana needing to constantly be pumped out. Isolated from the surrounding trees and all other beings both human and not, it became an unspoken rule to avoid it.

Whispers were that there was someone living inside, a dark twisted being whose anger had caused the deep chasm to split open in the ground. Driving everyone away, even those who only dared even consider approaching, the person was believed to slowly be withering away in exile. Other people’s gossip was focused on the dark magic emanating from the tree, curses and forbidden spells swirling around in their conversations as they talked amongst themselves.

Some children will come by the gaping tear in the ground and see who could throw stones over, pushing each other and goading one another into seeing if someone could hit the tree. No one had ever seen anybody come out of the tree and nobody had ever actually seen anyone go in, the children were desperate to see the big bad man their mamas would talk about. Unfortunately, none of the young children had a strong enough arm to draw them out.

Their mamas would walk down cobblestone paths amongst the trees, hiking up one side of the long-ruffled skirts to make it easier for them to walk. Carrying baskets of produce or baskets of laundry to be tended to, some of the more daring young ladies would wonder if it was a handsome young man living in exile, deliciously scarred and oh so dangerous. Giggles could be heard from dimly wit windows at night, the women still chatting amongst themselves.

Men were more inclined to take the issue out before it endangered them, with their low magic they could figure out a way over but even they had to admit with their high egos and consistent flexing, that none of them stood a chance. Nobody has yet to see the one residing inside the hollowed-out tree but even they could, with their limited energies, feel the immense power crackling across the bark and flitting through the wind rustled leaves of the centre tree.

Every night when the sky begins to dim and the moon appears, her radiance blessing their sky amongst pretty twinkling stars and far away galaxies, the lanterns would be lit so the streets were never enveloped in oppressive darkness. The children had been too curious for too many months since the tree had first been taken control of, so they ventured out, guided by the bright dotted lights of the lanterns as they sneak past buildings and under the noses of parents.

Carrying handfuls of stones which will never be enough to satisfy them, the children wind up and begin aiming with as much magic as they could sputter out at their age. Hands igniting with tiny sparks to try give stones the extra push across, cold winds expelled from palms to gently guide the stones further and even more attributes beginning to release themselves through their determination. One of the younger boys who had yet to throw, concentrated on his palm with focus.

As he released the stone with an explosion of heat, they watched the boy, bouncing blonde hair and deep purple eyes, get the stone the entire way across the chasm. His determination and focus had done it and they watched as a door made itself known in the bark towards the bottom of the tree, branches straining as the children’s cheers died down. Curiosity had taken them this far, but fear had drenched them in shivers and uncertain looks amongst the lot.

Luckily or unluckily for them, it hadn’t been the stone that had drawn out the reclusive and solitary beast of their parents murmured stories. Above their heads they watched as arrows draped in the flames from the street lanterns flew across the sky, lighting up the darkness before piercing themselves into the tree with heated whistling sounds. Enchanted they must have been because the arrows burst, and flames darted around impossibly fast.

Now illuminated by the light of the flames, the children watched almost entranced as the person made their appearance. It wasn’t a large beast with fur coating its skin and gnarled teeth snapping at anyone who comes near. There were no long talons and wickedly glowing eyes as venom dripped from its lips, spewing curses that would haunt your people for generations. Not even a towering but handsome man, scarred from battle and exiled from the holiest of lands.

Standing there with dishevelled long brown hair, braided down the back until it reached his knees was a young boy of about fifteen years of age. Piercing glowing green eyes which began to take in the flames trying to eat away at the tree, savagely tearing through the layer of protective magic placed across the bark. Tipping up the wide brim of his witches’ hat, the young boy grimaced and stared steadily ahead at the approaching group of archers with bows taut and raised.

“We don’t want the likes of you staying around here no more.”

“The likes of me? May I ask whatever it is that you mean by that?”

“Cursed dark magic user, you are scaring the children and bewitching the women of this fair village. I have witnessed your powers corrupt the very land and make it almost impossible for them to grow, your hands and tongue wield forbidden acts of desire and corruption follows you like a plague.”

“If you knew anything of agriculture dear ranger, what you are seeing spread across the village can only be blamed on natural curse run of if you are an inexperienced creation still seeking comfort from its mother. Anyone with half a mind for detail would be able to see that the people did wrong by the Tiefling hoard to the north and they took measures to weaken the very people who live in this village as retribution. It is easily reversable but unless your ability to detect magic is honed it can be passed as bad luck by the farmers, you however don’t have the excuse of inexperience.”

Despite the immature age shining in the youthfulness of his tanned face, his expression was severe, and he stood with a confidence not many men could conjure up when facing down the barrel of a metaphorical fight let alone a literal one. A rude awakening had brought him out at the hour, but he still looked put together, pants buttoned up with six smooth buttons at the front and tucked into the heeled boots that worked to make him appear even more imposing.

Silk shirt tied at his waist an open from the hip height upwards to expose the tip of a toned stomach and his chest. Exposed by the shirt are deep cut markings that mar his skin almost imperceptibly from the distance the children are staring at him from, runes etched into his skin like an unbearable and inescapable curse. High collar buckled into place across his clavicle and underneath his arms, long hanging cape draped behind him. Wide sleeves kept in place and allowing his arms freedom.

He looked every bit the powerful mage that had been whispered about but his ferociousness didn’t come from teeth that look like they can tear through meat easily, or claws that can rip apart skin with ease, it was the experience in his stance and immovability of his ways. Burning it into their minds as they watched on, the exchange happening before them as they scramble to move further away from the fighting, they knew they were witnessing something raw and untouchable.

“You dare speak to use like we are imbeciles? We were summoned and we have collectively concluded that you are a devious enchantress that must be cast out before more damage can be done to these poor, defenceless people.”

“Don’t pity them, you are a glorified archer without the natural spark of an elf and these people are stronger than you will ever be.”

“For you speak of elves with respect, how typical of lower life forms like yourself. They are about as disgusting as you are but at least they have mana that is pure and magic untainted.”

“A witch never works for praise but we don’t abide by baseless scorn, if the people want me gone than I will hear to it myself by their own mouths and but I cannot allow you the pretentious hope of even believing you can damage me or my tree any longer.”

With that he raises his hand and glowing with righteous embers and shining glory is a small salamander with bright orange eyes and slick red skin, yellow pupils, and a tapered pink tongue. Opening its mouth, it darts out its tongue which wraps around the flames still struggling to penetrate the defensives, while the flames try to escape to continue evoking havoc the salamander grows frustrated. Pulling with controlled fury, the salamander takes the huge flames into itself.

“I will allow this disgrace of a performance to go on no longer, spitfire has protected against natural disasters and your pity party over there hardly commands the need of even a minor alarm.”

“Our children will not let you disgrace our name as rangers, what is your name, bastard? So that we may pass it down like the curse you are?”

“Damianos of the Al Ghul.”

Even though the fighting could have continued and then men could have breached the witches’ comfort in one way or another, the men lowered their bows and placed their extinguished arrows in the quivers across their backs. They spoke the name as if it poisoned their tongues, a curse that would imprint itself onto the very souls of their children as if raising them for the soul purpose of condemning one man who had belittled them while the moon rested raised above them.

From then on despite what Damianos had said about hearing the people out, the door disappeared from the bark of the tree and it fell silent once more. No please and wails would be heard from across the chasm where they had dared not venture to for so long, they didn’t praise the powers of them man but wanted to use them. Greed overtook their worries as they begged for good harvests, their injuries to be fleeting and that age would not take them over.

Mana continues to bleed out of the man isolated in the tree, keeping it with strong roots and sat upright in the ground in the centre of the forest. The village continued on as it had before as requests for help died down and they began spitting on the name of Damianos, cursing him for not providing things he had never promised them. Blaming him for failed courtships and children that wilted too soon, for broken bones and voices that faded as abruptly as others sight did.

Although the chasm itself never widened or deepened itself, the isolation grew around the tree stiffer than ever as the village started building outwards towards the edge of the trees instead of inwards, closer to the centre tree like that had for generations. Even when the tree glowed and glittered with power, birds flying over to nest and animals burrowing under the roots during the winter, the magic was labelled too dark to approach so they took themselves away out of spite.

Gone from the outcropping close by were the people of the village so Damianos had no reason to seclude himself so deeply inside the dark tree. Leaving to walk across the chasm in search of samples and to tend to animals that were unfairly treated by nature, burning protective fires to strengthen the surrounding trees, and blessing the water sources with good health. Naming the stars each night until he couldn’t bear the cold tearing through the centre of him.

Most of his time was spent inside of the tree still however, surrounded by books that float half open with memory bubbles to enter so he can recall everything he read before when picking it back up. Too many ladders of woven branches and strengthened vines placed against the walls, vantage points to commit to some of his work and to think from. A floor of comforting moss where he heals his own body each day and each night, bandaged and still too cold.

Runes lighting up his skin as he works amongst the long vials and short curved glasses, uncorking bottles and sealing up others tight enough to last forever. Watching the pinks curl and turn into steam, blue foaming and expanding tight enough to almost shatter the glass, greens refusing to stick to one shade for longer than a few seconds. Purple that darkens and runs like tendrils of ink, an opaque creamy white that runs through with a plethora of colours that beat through the liquid like veins.

Tending to each and every one as he creates everything caught inside of his head, information cursing him as being too much and simply never enough for him. Running his hand along the spine of books now left towering over him from where he has detailed as much information as he can fit into each page, vials left discarded and unused in corners of his benches. Anything nature needs from him can come from his hands, the potions to help others are never needed.

People don’t visit boys like him when looking for help. As the people in the village had, they can sense the cursed nature of his creation and his upbringing. No amount of healing salves and protective remedies will make up for the sharp split of his lips that shows off pointed canines, will never cover for the runes draped across his skin. He can never explain away the unnatural glow to his eyes or the curses that malign his tongue while he sleeps and bounce against the walls, thankfully unable to hurt others.

Cooking a tasteless meal on the stove with one uninterested hand, Damianos continues to write down information with his left hand. Sat down on a wooden stool at his bench while the food bubbles across the room, distractedly stirring the wooden spoon with fingers that move with practised ease even as it happen far away behind his back. The constant movement of his mana into the tree keeps him occupied, doing multiple things at once keeps his mind distracted.

Unfortunately, there are only so many things that can distract you before the voice appears like a curse in itself and in some ways, it probably is a curse. In most people the voice stays inside their heads as something they have to battle with themselves, going unnoticed by other people as they struggle for control over something that will never be more than themselves in another form. Damianos struggles against a different voice, one he cursed himself with as a young child.

“You know your mother was right about you.”

“My mother tends to be right about most things but not me, never me.”

“She knew isolation would just make you grow.”

“I am only growing further away from her influence, becoming more in control.”

“Are you? Is this what you would call this? Control?”

There was a gaping hole in his hand curled into a familiar smile with lips stretched over sharpened teeth, a tongue that moved with each correctly pronounced word. If Damianos looked at his palm he could stare as each word was spoken into the air around them, turning over his hand only caused it to reappear on the back of his palm. He had wished for someone to give him company in his isolation under his mother’s rough guidance, he never wished for the company to be comforting.

Control was an unfortunately sore spot for Damianos who looked around the tree at its spiralling staircase going to the top where he could stare up at the sky, steps missing from every time he had ventured up there and cursed his lack of freedom. Spitfire lay curled up as dark as charcoal on his perch and there were scorch marks around the space from when he had challenged the spirit, burning himself in the process as he screamed pleas to take on more pain.

He couldn’t admit to being in control when he reread his notes and found them almost indecipherable, some paragraphs coming out in languages he doesn’t recall knowing while others are just repeats of the same word. Paragraphs written backwards while some are slanted upside down and mix with words from the paragraph of the next page, Damianos couldn’t even guess how long it had been since he replace the ink of his pen with his own cursed blood.

When the only time he could feel in control was facing off against enemies, Damianos often found himself at odds against himself to find that control. He craved it as he tested himself and broke bones, mended them only to see how much pressure he could put his limbs under before they shattered, mended them only to see how much weight his body could bear before he passes out. Testing to see how much he could get done without water and food for days on end.

Flittering moments of control bred desperation and he only found reprieve in distant moments, venturing outside, and tending to things that will forever be too good compared to him. The pureness of nature with its incredible flora and fauna that didn’t need control, found itself moving outside of anyone’s interference or guidance. Damianos wished to get lost in the soft brush of grass against his shins, mud caked up to his knees and wind between his fingers.

“How does the chill fill today Damian?”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Oh well we wouldn’t want people knowing your real name, or else they might manipulate you right? Is that what you tell yourself, that everyone who knows who you are will take from you like your mother did?”

“My mother took nothing.”

“Your mother took everything from you, your mother gave everything to you, your mother is everything about you and you can never be more than her and it’s what haunts you. Even though you fled and exiled yourself from her reach, it is her that you fear when you close your eyes for those few graceless moments. You fear she will soon be close enough to ignite the runes and puppet you like she promised she would if you ever crossed paths again.”

“She has no control.”

“Are you not referring to yourself? Whose magic is it that you use? Born without mana, your mother is the reason that this tree protects you from sight and the reason you can get up every time your body fails you, even this far away from you, she owns everything about you.”

“I can’t lose myself again.”

“Too late for that, have you not lost everything already?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [my Twitter ♡](https://twitter.com/alldamianwayne?s=09)


	2. self flagellation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a curse bears fruit but will the introduction of a new character help bring Damian further out of isolation or will it have unforeseen consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tim is fourteen in his introduction while Damian has just turned eighteen, so three years have passed since the events of the first chapter
> 
> this is going to be updates sporadically whenever i have a thought or a new character to introduce, it probably wont be more than a few chapters long and if there are any questions or predictions let me know in the comments

Passing of time falls different as Damianos continues his exile away from the prying eyes of curious villagers who have long since shunned him, the lack of human interaction carries him through the months were the cold is unbearable. The chill coursing through him burns with a fervent rage that pounds at his bones and simmers along his skin. It is the cold ache of death that never leaves him, burns brightest in his glowing green eyes.

Each week moves on with newly broken bones that Damian sets wrong just to watch himself falter, pouring dangerous liquids into the miniscule openings of tubed vials and feelings those seconds of warmth as the pain washes over him. Hands shaky from a lack of sleep and a voice speaking through his hands, whose words rattle around like an echo of his deepest thoughts given a true voice in an arrogant timber, its easy to make mistakes with hands like that.

There are days where he cannot heal the mistakes that he forces onto himself, kneeling on the moss-covered ground with bandages wrapped around his forearm and across both of his shins. His eye was lost a few years into his exile, during a fated exchange long since predestined for what felt like centuries but was only truly three years. On his eighteenth birthday Damianos found himself facing down a familiar bow and arrow, drawn with no flame burning at the end.

He stood where his father had stood those years prior except, he looked swamped in his cloak, breeches only held up by a tight cord tied around his waist. Straps holding up flimsy armour around his chest and along his arms, the same weapon his father had wielded stays tight against his back but in his hand, he carries a sharpened sword. Hair swept messily in front of his eyes, knicks and shallow cuts scattered across the backs of his hands and his cheek.

“Jack Drake was a good and honourable man.”

“Ah, so the man sent his runt scrambling after me after all.”

“He sent no one, I come of my own volition.”

“If you truly believe that then you are more brainwashed than I imagined.”

Spoken with a barely concealed snarl to his lips, Damianos watched the young boy stand there with his grip tight against the neck of his sword. He had been raised under the tainted idea that Damianos was a grand enemy to be defeated and that the Drake family were trained to seek retribution against such creatures who dared defile good land. No matter how exiled and removed from others Damianos is, they will forever consider him a threat to other beings.

Looked to be no older than he had been when the ranger first arrived with his hoard of bearded men, fur cloaks strapped to their shoulders and bows poised and readied to rein down hell fire over the centre tree. A youthfulness to the glint in his eye and the newly scarred knuckles of his hands, trained movements still unsure and a stance that has never before seen actual combat. His father had crafted this young boy into a new man, strong enough to defeat Damianos.

Well that is no doubt what he had hoped would come of this exchange, either Damianos would make an unlikely mistake and fall to the hands of a Drake and therefore bringing honour to a notorious ranger family. Either that or he hoped that the skills he had instilled in his son would be good enough, a sleight of hand that would catch him off guard and a whistling arrow that moved to fast for him to move out of the way from. Things he couldn’t accomplish himself.

“You cursed our family with misfortune, and I have come to end you, my name is Timothy Jackson Drake and in the honourable name of my family and my creed, I will end you.”

“I have received the bastard children of your fathers men for many years and they returned home no more injured than they arrived, if your father was as honourable as you claim then he would send himself instead of the poor children no doubt beaten black and blue for their failure.

As time passed children would appear much like Tim had but he had never bothered to grace them with his presence, sending out one of his forest spirits to cast them away. Feathers twisted and tied into a coat that hides all but their eyes, mirrored so you have to face your own fear as they appear before you. Ground forming beneath their feet as they begin walking across the chasm, long splintered nails appear as fingers pull back the cloak’s hood.

Gnarled horns and the absence of a mouth always shake the poor children from their fear, bows often dropped in the moment that the spirit makes it to the other side where they are standing with knees knocking and scream caught in their throat. Ko’Ko never harms the children and simply carries them along the path needed for them to flee, feathers curling around their coats, pushing them and pulling them around trees and under low hanging branches.

The children had been young and never stood a chance, but the ranger had been convinced Damianos would fall and would fall to the people of his creed, but clearly he hadn’t been particularly fussed at the idea of his men’s children dying before his own was sent out. His son who looked like him but younger and without the cocky tilt to his hip and without the hand constantly itching to maim. This one could be reached like the man before him could not.

“My father is dead.”

Spat it out like it wasn’t something he had told people before, from the other side of the chasm Damianos could feel the burn creeping up to his eyes as he holds back tears and the indignant screams and yells clawing at his throat to be let out. Could sense the hesitation but the aching need to seek vengeance and to clear the curse he truly seems to believe Damianos had cast out onto his family, he was being held together by a fine twine of vengeance and desperation.

“Janet Drake lost her life hours before her husband came home from dealing with you, I held her body for all those hours until my father walked in. He had already been in a state but seeing my mother held in my arms broke him something furious, Jack Drake spent his remaining time preparing me and telling me about you.”

“Your father lost his life to his own fury and he has nobody but himself to blame for his misfortune, he cursed himself and he cursed your family.”

“Lies don’t work on me.”

“Then you should have stopped listening to your father when he first started you down this road of nonsense, your mother was killed by a druid who was angered by misfortune, Janet had given him a prophecy he was not ready to face.”

Fury seemed to spark as Damianos spoke of his mother’s death, but he knew better than the young boy or its possible the young boy already knows of what happened. Blinded by his fathers’ message and his cause to the point where it doesn’t even matter, the druid had been a young newly widowed woman and had learnt that her child would be a miscarriage. Distraught and out of her mind with grief, she took it out on the innocent woman holding her crystals and sorting her cards.

“I will do what I must.”

“You will try.”

Dropping the sword from his hand onto the grass like the movement would distract Damianos from the bow he holds up, arrow fired before the sword could even make a soft thud in the squashed grass below. This had most likely been the moment that Jack Drake had been waiting for prior to his death when everything runs in a perfectly executed cycle of practised moves. Even if Tim had trained himself bloody and bruised, he would never outsmart or be faster than Damianos.

Luckily for Tim there was no need to use his wits and try outsmarting the witch, there was no need for his calloused hands to grip the bow so tightly as he fired quickly but with hopeful precision. No need for any of that because Damianos is a sentimental and emotional being who dropped the protective fields over his skin, stared down the arrow barrelling towards the centre of his forehead. Arrowhead capable of piercings stronger materials than a simple skull bone.

While Damianos accepted the action, he could not allow himself to die and in the moments before it struck his body, he lifted his hand and with two fingers change the trajectory of the arrow just slightly until it pierced through his eye. The arrow had been gifted the magical properties that would have effectively broken down Damianos nervous system and gifted him precious moments that would allow him to finally end Damianos, however it didn’t hit his brain and triggered a different reaction.

Standing in front of the grand towering figure if the centre tree Damianos was dressed in a dark billowing gown that hung low in the back and curled up at the front with frills to finish just above his knees. Wide open sleeves that finish in refined lace and shift to show off long artistic fingers, adorned with glittering rings decorated with shattered and broken jewels. Witches hat tilted on his head as always and tipped up to allow Tim to see what he had done.

Blood drips steadily from his left eye and rivulets trickle downwards, dripping down like a tear across his cheek and splatter against the front of his outfit. Bones placed over his gown like a breastplate of armour now stained by his own blood, milky white covered in a careful spray of blood that begins to spread and seemingly soak into the bone. Red quickly overtaking the white as his eye clears up, arrow removed to show the unseeing milky white of Damianos eye.

“I-I cannot understand, why is it that you have done this?”

“Any dishonour that you feel plagues your people can be whipped clean, I will carry the burden of your family’s pain, but I cannot allow you to take my life.”

“There is no meaning to my life if not to seek vengeance.”

Having a life defined by vengeance was not something a person could easily follow and after three years it had already begun to eat away at the young boy as Damianos could see. Normal people weren’t built like Damianos and weren’t meant to carry out their lives in a whirlwind of fury, he would carry everyone’s pain to save them from suffering if he had to. In his own isolation he can let go of his demons and let them run around until they don’t weigh so heavy inside of him.

One of the biggest benefits of living inside the centre tree is no matter how much pain he releases it doesn’t escape and infect other people, it bounces around the hollowed walls and twirls between his vials and through the pages of his books. He can learn to control it bit by bit until it becomes harder for the memory of his mother to bring him to his knees. She might have been right about his situation allowing him to grow but he was growing away from her influence.

“Do you truly believe that?”

“I can be more than what she has done to me.”

“She created you, just like Jack created Tim over there but unfortunately for you, your mother was far better at manipulation and control.”

“Freeing Tim from his father’s influence will prove that-,”

“Prove what exactly? A commoner with the ego of a king with no riches or accomplishments to back it up cannot compare to your mother.”

“Tim is going to be better than his father and I am going to be better than my mother.”

“You are going to be everything she wants you to be, admit it that you felt her influence today. Her guiding hand bringing the arrow away from something vital because we all know how desperate you are to die; do you really think it was your choice to survive?”

Lifting his hand into a fist Damianos slams it back into the bark of the tree behind him, feeling the echo of the impact reverberated through the mana he continues pumping into it. While the hand laughs from its newly moved place on his forearm, it thankfully fades to leave Damianos to the moment and he suddenly feels too nauseous with thoughts scattered. A fool he was to think that he was any further away from her even after all those miles of distance.

Talia Al Ghul had him cheat death once before and he had watched her do it again, at least this time had only cost him his eye. Dark tendrils of broken memories filter in, provided like some sick movie played through his head which only provided disjointed recollections of a time he desperately tries to escape, to forget. Standing before her in the throne room, watching her speak in front of everyone and reveal that he was without mana, a magicless child.

She had bedded a human prostitute and unions between those two species never bore fruit, but Talia was different, an unimaginable power and desire dwelled inside of her and she brought forth Damian to the world. Whispered stories and hushed tales soon spoke of other royal fae who had given birth to halflings, curses spat at even the idea of them being brought to the court and the rumours were soon revealed to be true, they were never given magic.

Damianos was taken by his mother to the pit and killed although he had never searched his body for the scar, he had bled out on the ground just before the pool of glowing green liquid. His mother had then used his blood to burn runes into his skin, like she was nailing a butterfly to a board until it was immovable and without a chance to escape. She cast his body to the depths of hell itself and revived him with her own power now coursing through his body.

Fierce pain spluttered up as he hacked and coughed up the green liquid, he had been dipped in and taken out by handmaidens who were easily slaughtered for witnessing the sight. Young Damianos had then watched as his mother slaughtered all the fair folk who had witnessed her announcement, the child who couldn’t even weakly sense others mana was replaced by a magic driven child. After that he felt his mother like a consistent presence inside of him as he was taught.

Information overloading his head as he committed himself to the movements his mother orchestrated him to perform, learning spells and positions. Being taught how to fight and to protect himself, how much energy to expel in maintaining healthy mana and every other tall tale and story of wisdom which had been passed to his mother when she has ascended the throne. He was being tailored to the position of heir, but he had broken free, unlike his mother before him.

“My child, I have given you everything you could ever need and more, yet you shun me. You wish for freedom that will never take you away and you curse my hands as if that will stop me, my power over you is no simple spell darling, it is fate for you to become my marionette.”

He had cursed her hands to free himself from the string spun around her fingers and through her palms, a spell that twisted his tongue and screamed inside his head, but he had practised and perfected it for that moment. Docile and subservient had gotten him far enough into her trust for her to let her guard down and he had fled, with her confident voice in his ears. No matter where he runs to, Talia Al Ghul will find him one day and own him completely.

“Damianos?”

“I apologies, I was caught up in my own head.”

“My trust for you is fleeting and if I am being honestly quite possibly completely absent, I wish to stay close by to monitor you. Only up until the moment I either agree to give up on my vengeance or kill you.”

Nodding his head in agreeance Damianos makes his leave with a large sweeping gesture, sleeves blowing in the wind as it rustles around him like a gentle caress. His shields rise back up around him as he enters the centre tree with a flourish of spoken word too quiet to be perceived by the distance that separates him from Tim. Door vanishing behind him like it had every time, blocking himself out to the world once more, wishing to remain undisturbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [my Twitter ♡](https://twitter.com/alldamianwayne?s=09)


	3. self acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> looking for aid from a particular witch, one young boy makes the perilous venture out into the world in search for one Damianos who surprisngly welcomes in more than just the young boy and his injured young friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my writing for this series dissatisfies me greatly because there are so many thought I want to get out but I wont give up on this story yet, and comments are always appreciated!

Damianos had only started going out of the centre tree a minimal amount before the time Tim sent up camp on the outskirts of his area, so it didn’t both Damian too much to revert back to staying in doors all the time. The young boy was free to sulk in his little encampment as long as he wasn’t causing issues and Damianos would continue minding his own business, fixing injuries one handed and learning to compensate for his missing eye.

It had been mildly troublesome to get used to his depth perception taking such a hit, at least he didn’t have to try so hard to injure himself when it came so naturally after that. Although he thrilled himself in drawing his own blood by throwing knives in the air and practising catching them, truly it was to get used to his blatant disadvantage. Losing an eye might not have sounded particularly bad in the moment but it arguably sucked more than dying would have.

While he was relearning his body and teaching itself new tricks, Damianos decided to take it a step further and begin training himself to preform blind. Every broken leg he received when he fell trying to trust himself to balance, every ball of flames he took a hit from when training with Ko’Ko and every slice to his skin from his own sword was one step forward to mastering it. If it happened once with his left eye than it could happen again with his right eye and he wanted to be prepared.

There was a delightful joyfulness as Damianos performed flips on high beams spread from one side of the tree to the other, eyes covered by a simple folded silk decorated by running designs across the fabric much like the runes against his skin. He had days without sight and had found himself more often than not blocking everything out, helping to not only give himself a new advantage but also heightening his own sense of hearing, smell and feel.

As he improved with each moving day the voice would frequent his body, whispering about how he was training his body to become the perfect vessel. A puppet with such immense skill was undeniably valuable and he posed that Talia might even take it easy on him when she captures him, going into his inevitable torture with a glowing positivity. Damianos found it harder to block out the voice with his other senses heightened, ending most days with frustration and rage.

He was kneeling on the moss using his teeth to help secure the bandages wrapped around his upper arm from glass that had shattered, plunging deep enough into his skin to make him hiss with surprise when Damianos sensed it. With the young boy staying close by he had widened his scope of perception and his mana had seeped into the ground beyond his exiled island, so he felt the small rushed footsteps as they came closer.

Beating into the ground harshly as if it was something heavy moving with urgency, while it felt childlike it could just as easily be a small species who had come to enact some revenge or idiotically planned out plot for recognition. Retaliation had died down since Tim became a semi-permanent resident in these parts of the woods. Damianos sensed the message bird Tim had no doubt sent to his people, to inform them of the decision he was planning on making, back on that first night. 

Unfortunately, that was no reason to go out unprepared as Damianos stepped up to the front door appearing before him, allowing Jormungandr to slip over his shoulders. Flicking and flitting around his arms, the snake curled its tail and moved its head curiously as the young man steps out for his first time in some time now. Not having even realized or noticed the passing of seasons until he stepped outside, flowers blooming and sun shining brightly through the trees.

Coming to a jolted stop just before the edge of the abyss that falls deep between the centre tree and the rest of the forest, is a young boy no older than eight or nine years old with bright blue eyes. Matted dark hair grown long and hanging in front of his eyes, swooped back by the young boy as he tried to catch his breathe and appear presentable. There was something wiggling and moving in his arms, seemingly much too large to be carried by someone so small.

“A fae?”

Of his own court, yet the young thing looked nothing like anyone he had encountered before but admittedly he had been absent for so long and the boy looked so young there was a chance he had come in-between his departure and now. Pointed ears tipped a cherry red before fading down into his pale skin colour, flushed cheeks to match and wide eyes which were now taking him in, in his entirety with no reservation or shyness to note.

“No, far too pure to be of the Unseelie Court, so you must be of the Seelie ilk.”

“Your majesty, I beg your help.”

“There are no need for formalities like that here young one, I have fallen too far for that.”

Soft petals of pretty glowing blue flowers were woven into his hair and despite how long he must have been away from the court for, they had not wilted and arguably grew brighter the longer Damianos stared at the boy. Woven pants with a few tears and frayed edges hang low on his hips, a frailness to his body despite the strength it must have taken to carry his load. Bands of red wind around his exposed arms and his soft cotton shirt hangs low off of one shoulder.

In his arms popped up a head of similarly coloured hair, or upon further inspection Damianos would have to argue that it was fur. He wore no shirt and it showed off the impressive claw marks against his abdomen, healed well enough to not need attention but they hadn’t been dug into his skin long enough to be a distant memory for him. Barely older than the boy holding him at about eleven or twelve years old, his eyes glow a familiar and haunting green.

Further back on the outskirts of his attention Tim had slowly creeped forward from his encampment to catch whatever was happening, the whole reason he had stuck around was to observe and consider his decision which seemed to be taking an achingly long time. Ignoring the young boy for know who could not be considered a threat right now, Damianos took a few curious steps forward. The young fae child had come here seeking his help and he had caught his curiosity.

“My friend here, there is something wrong with him and he needs help!”

“Whoever that boy is, he has simply been turned into a shapeshifting lycanthrope.”

“I know about that! I couldn’t protect him from that, but I’ll protect him from this.”

The young boy placed down the werewolf child and stumbled forward a few steps, wringing his hands together almost subconsciously by the looks of it now that his hands are free. Grass springing back up to life behind him as every step does little to permanently damage the nature around him, the Seelie court have blessed connections with nature. While Damianos attracted sick and dangerous animals, the young fae seemed to glow surrounded by brightly coloured birds and soft rabbits.

“When he transforms, it hurts him so badly.”

“Upon the first shift for a werewolf the bones first break and reform, it won’t be as noticeable from then on, so you have no need to worry yourself.”

“It isn’t just his first shift! With every shift, the experiences is pure agony and I can see it myself, watching with every shift how it breaks him more every time.”

Venturing out onto his exposed upper arm the voice shrills that he should reconsider, lending a helping hand only works to make him vulnerable and susceptible to outsiders penetrating into his carefully protected interior. Teeth gritting as the voice tells him that this is simply a ploy to have him open his arms and open his door to strangers, what good are sick werewolf children and worried fae children at the cost of everything Talia Al Ghul has built.

With a harsh hiss Jormungandr darts forward to capture the aggravating nuisance in their jaws but the mouth disappears before their teeth can get into it, piercing only Damianos skin but the snake relents quickly in order not to harm him. Although arguably the voice made some points to consider, he had never extended a hand to anyone before and it was a risk. His exile took him away from having contact with others, he would be opening himself up to risked possibilities.

Yet the boy looked on with such open honestly that there was no way for him to refuse, so for the first time with someone waiting on the other side, Damianos began stepping over the chasm. The young boy watched the pretty witch walk over the gap without a bridge, long sweeping skirt trailing behind him and dipping into the chasm with every step. Hat pulled down over his eyes and a corset of golden rods perfecting his form, stars hanging off of each ribbed rod.

Golden rods rounded and made into a high collar coming off of his outfit, sheer green matching the scaled skin of the snake curling itself around the arm where the mouth had surfaced. With one more step he was on the other side of the chasm, hands adorned with plentiful golden rings and wrists dangling with bracelets. Without hesitation the young boy got down lower to show respect, forehead pressed against Damianos extended hand almost in reverence.

The boy was not of his court and would have never been expected to show such respect, especially now that he was nothing but a hidden and sorely forgotten excuse of his own court. No matter all those facts swirling around the tip of his own tongue, he watched as the young boy greeted him with the respectful words of their natural tongue. He spoke before slipping into the typical expected dialogue to converse with any type of species, basic.

“Was he naturally turned?”

“Papa told me not to tell anyone, but you have to be an exception! I heard papa talking about Jay with an older man and he said that Jay had been killed at the hands of some fae knight. They don’t tale too kindly to necromancers at the Seelie court which I think is silly, everyone deserves to fulfil the role that called to them! Anyway, the Unseelie queen revived him in some green goo or something but it was only possible because a big man scratched Jay before he was dunked in!”

Despite being the account of a child who had clearly heard it through limited conversation between two other men, it set Damianos on edge with the familiar feel of the Lazarus Pit closing in around him as he thought back to his own broken recollection. Talia seemed to have a terrible desire to manipulate and control being and their lives, it wasn’t surprising that she took advantage of some Seelie decision to benefit her own curiosity through her developing abilities.

Leaning down, Damianos was grateful that he hadn’t kept his eyes covered before venturing outside because he needed to take in the sight before him. The young thing, Jay as the young fae had referred to him by, was in clear repeated agony. No healthy werewolf shifted had uncontrolled shifting fits, but this boy was clearly struggling to keep himself as human appearing as possible, despite the defiance and anger in his eyes they were red rimmed with tears not far behind.

“This is not as simple as I first thought.”

Breathing in and exhaling as Damianos lay his hands gently across the shivering abdomen of the young werewolf cub, claws extending and retracting as blood trickles down the backs of his tanned hands, eyes staring up at him with yellow trying to surface before disappearing. As he felt inside of the boy instead of simply taking in his outward appearances, Damianos could feel conflict and agony within him, what had been done to him was unnatural.

Unnatural came with being infected with lycanthrope because it was not something people tended to be born with, but this boy’s body had not been able to come to accept what had happened. The trauma which had resulted through death, the infection and through rebirth had thrown his developing cycle into complete disarray. If Damianos didn’t discover a way to alleviate the pain and correct his body, this child was not going to live much longer.

“You spoke of a papa, was he not able to come and deliver the boy?”

“He is cursed to be incapable of leaving his house, but I watched him agonize over Jay for too long to not take matters into my own hands!”

“I cannot imagine the bravery it took to leave in search of help.”

“Papa had talked about a young witch who lived away in a forest towards the east, I had been training my ability to sense others so finding another fae was easy! Especially because you are so strong with the nature here, it sings your praises loud enough to be heard from afar.

While the thought made Damianos momentarily smile it soon shot a cold fear up his spine, while his mana actively worked to prevent him being perceived by others especially his mother, there was no silencing natures divine song. He had worried about how inviting these two strangers in to be aided would put him at risk, but he was already in danger, all that he could hope was that Talia still distanced herself from the voices of nature.

“My apologies young one, I have been so caught up that I have yet to ask of your name.”

“Richard the Gray son.”

“A prominent family that I thought died years ago, I see I was unaware of the truths of the court.”

“They hid me outside of the court.”

Clearly the papa he spoke of was not John Grayson and another man who had taken him in, someone familiar enough with himself to give Richard to notion that he could be trusted and that he would help out. He scooped the young cub into his arms receiving a half-hearted snarl before he seemed to curl up with exhaustion, after all the adrenaline wore off from his adventure Damianos also had to catch Richard in his arms as he slumped from exhaustion.

“Are you going to come in too?”

“You would invite an enemy into your home, your sanctuary?”

“It will no doubt get cold soon and I believe you probably tire of watching the bark sit on trees, if you promise not to try take out my other eye then I believe I can include you too.”

Seemingly one of the most foolish decisions Damianos has ever made, he walked across the chasm with three children in various states of exhaustion and wariness. To open up his shut off heart to one child was to invite his true nature to blossom, hands reaching out for every child looking for someone to depend on. Hands smoothing back their hair and kissing them gently on their foreheads, laying Jay down on his own bed which had remained unslept in for some time.

Tim had curled up on his blankets a little further away from the bed but close enough to feel the heat from the fire which Damianos distractedly lit with stray magic, it had felt beautiful outside but now that he was paying attention he could sense the impending change of the seasons. Gathering the things, he would need from various shelves and underneath stacks of books, Damianos focused on the young unsettled boy whose pants were torn up and flimsy.

“How did you know to bring out a healing snake?”

Damianos had his focus on conjuring up the magic he would need and imbuing it through Jormungandr who dripped the necessary healing potion from its mouth, visualizing each material he needs and watching the colours swirl in his mind. Jormungandr could get incredibly protective like they had earlier but their purpose was for healing, once Damianos had what he needed the snake curled itself up around Jay like a soft protective toy for Jay to grip.

“What if I said I foresaw that you would need it?”

“I would know that you lie, you were too surprised by everything and you came out with a fierceness and confidence, could see that you were prepared to fight and defend.”

“Hmm well aren’t you intuitive, if you must know I brought Jormungandr with me because I feared that if an attack were to have occurred that the young boy over there might get in the crossfire and I wanted to be able to heal him if I was caught in a fight.”

As Damianos stabilized Jay (who’s named was revealed to be Jason which he prefers), Richard (who prefers Dick but Damianos will continue calling Richard) climbed up into the bed next to the other young boy and promptly and finally fell asleep. Through the night Damianos would have to monitor young Jay’s condition but he will mostly be focused on consulting his books, fixing a remedy through the night, and coming up with something more concrete tomorrow.

“You know I chose this right, that you don’t need to protect me if a fight comes.”

“Protection freely given doesn’t come with a clause young one, I don’t need reasons to help those nearby.”

When the flames began to die out Ko’Ko jumped at the chance, literally, to be useful and ran over to light the flames again which cast a beautiful glow around the walls. Even though they were quiet enough to allow Damianos to work through his messy ink and tipped over vials, it was still odd to sense so much movement and timid noises. There were more children here than he had ever come into contact with before even when he was a child himself.

Fantastical beings as they all are come in different variations and with that ages are peculiar as well, as while Richard was about eight years old that was by human standards and he had lived far longer than that within the confines of the Seelie Court. Damianos had always found an interest in the youth of varied species but also his own, soft and adorable while usually in need of help and protection, he wanted to treasure them like he had not been treasured himself.

“Believe me or not son of Talia, inviting them in has invited certain disaster.”

“Then disaster it will bring, no amount of ruin to myself will stop me from protecting younglings.”

“Ruin to yourself? Delusional. Pain is not felt deep enough when it comes from you but from another, more helpless subject. Are you sure that you can protect them from immeasurable doom?”


	4. self testing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> looking after children is no easy feat and Damianos has to venture somewhere he dreads, into the pretty market stalls ins search of delicious foods and new clothes, he also sends a letter of acceptance for three more children to arrive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this has been one of the worst writing slumps in some time so I apologize in advance for the state of this chapter, I was finally able to sit down and write so I hope this is something decent enough! it will probably only be two more chapters now until i complete this, the next chapter will hopefully come soon and the last chapter I plan to have be longer than the others!

“The children will starve at this rate.”

“I have plenty of food stored here.”

“Growing children cannot survive off of liquidated vegetables and herbs like you seem to think you can, even at that. When was the last time you went out to get food for yourself? Do you think you are proving something to somebody by housing the bare minimum in here?”

Damianos had not been scolded in some time, not since living under his mothers’ thumb but even then, he had always known why he was being yelled at. With Tim it felt like everything he did warranted a heated discussion, one that Damianos never gave because he could sense that there was something bubbling under the surface. Some form of worry that was coming out through misplaced aggression at everything.

He tried to focus on the lighter points and turned around from where he had been writing down more thoughts in his books, progression with Jason was going smoothly but he had wanted to cure the boy of his pain straight away. It was taking them each day of running tests, creating potions through the night, and waiting to see what came of it, a tedious process but he hoped he was getting closer. Pushing those worries aside he chose to focus on the issue of food.

As long as it got him through the day with enough energy to move and have coherent thoughts, Damianos had never spared much of a thought for food besides that. In the dining halls of his mother’s realm there had been frequent banquets usually in the honour of something trivial, lights dangling from the like shooting stars over the fair folk as they ate. He, more often that not, ate alone on the cobblestone steps leading to a great pond.

So, he truly hadn’t bothered with food and if it worked as a slight punishment to himself, well then it just happened to work out perfectly until he took in children. Conceding to the point, he agreed with Tim that they needed to stock up on more food and hailed the kids over to himself. The boys liked to go barefoot so he left them as they were, slipping them into simple woven shirts and overalls that matched the colours of their eyes.

When they first arrived, he had spare fabric to create some simple outfits, but Jay had destroyed most of his and Richard got messy quicker than any child he had ever encountered before. On top of food they should purchase some more clothes and fabrics, Tim hadn’t spoken up about anything he needed for himself but Damianos extended the thought to him too. He knows for a fact that Tim had been cycling through the same few outfits for some time now.

Moving around the tree, sorting everything for his departure, Damianos announced their first outing as a group – to the markets. Large sprawling grass land covered in tents of a variety of assorted colours, stores that sell anything from handmade jewellery and live well raised animals to fresh produce and divine books. It was not a place that people like himself tended to visit, exiled children don’t tend to peruse the wares of others.

Being self sufficient was a trait he learnt early in life and he had known no different since, buying from others what he could accomplish himself seemed peculiar. However, he wasn’t going to drag the children around while he sourced their food and means of clothing, for now he could make a sacrifice to his pride. There was enough money laying around , set off in small bags that he could purchase what they needed and then what they desired.

“Can we buy some food that tastes good?”

“Are you saying the food I make for you doesn’t taste good, Jay?”

“Exactly what I’m saying, even pops knew to add spices and flavour to food.”

Despite the confidence it had taken them to come out looking for his aid, the first few days had the young boys anxious in his presence. They hadn’t asked for anything and they had tried to stay out of his way, it hadn’t been directly the reason for his change, but it had influenced his decision to slip out of his usual dark coloured robes into lighter looks. Tim had seen and had heard from his father, the dramatic and almost scarily powerful way Damianos had dressed.

Now as he placed his hat on his head and opened the door to lead them all outside, he wore a light brown robe of fine silks ad heavier fabrics that curled at the edges like mushrooms on the bark of trees would in certain forests. It was gorgeous and slightly mesmerizing as Damianos now summoned stones to help them step across the chasm, skirts flowing down like they had before, but it made him look more angelic where before it had made him look menacing.

“How long will it take us to get there?”

“We haven’t even left yet, and you are already being impatient, what happened to the boy who travelled all the way out here?”

“I was rushing, everything happened so fast! You walk so gracefully it feels like it’ll take days to walk!”

“Not to worry, it won’t take long and it’s good for young boys to go out and stretch their legs.”

Truly it wasn’t a far walk for them, but it turned out Richard became the one to slow them all down and not Damianos, he wanted to bend down and inspect every flower and animals that he came across, as was his nature. Damianos was patient as he described things and answered any questions the young boy had; his knowledge of the surrounding area was probably better than any of the locals who had lived here their entire lives.

While Jay was getting attention through his recovery and making sure he was settling in comfortably, Richard got Damianos’ attention when it came their people. Although they come from different courts, he was still working to help the younger boy feel more connected to himself and the nature around him like all young fae are taught to do. Naturally some things came easier than others, Damianos simply acted like a guiding hand to enhance and help where it was needed.

Showing the young boy how animals wont startle from them and that the trust between the fae and the animals should not be taken lightly, emphasizing this as he talked about the number of familiars he lived with and have aid him. Jay chimed in sometimes with questions and Damianos would give him his undivided attention, explaining things clearly which Jay would accept even if he didn’t actually understand, he just wanted to be involved.

As they began nearing the stalls Damianos stopped himself and held out his hand, a blindfold of the same pinkish brown as his outfit fell into his awaiting hand. Tying it around his eyes and braiding it into the long ponytail trailing down his back and for the second the boys held their breathes. Even if they had all watched it happened, the person standing in front of them barely looked like Damianos, it was the intention after all as his appearance flickered into something dissimilar. 

Having not encountered the people living on the outskirts of the area Tim had forgotten what had transpired, now he remembered how despised Damianos was by the people and how they would not have served them had they known the man they were with. Tim didn’t blame them, he wanted to scream and yell about who it was under the thin visage change that shimmered over the older man, watch them crucify him.

Unfortunately, the children needed things and it was the sole reason that the older man had even considered leaving this far away from their tree. Damianos took the hands of Jay and Richard and led them into the centre between the stalls, asking them to guide him from stall to stall to collect what they needed. Richard squealed happily over the clothes he picked and had to be lifted up by Jay to see the different things to chose from.

When the young boys would pick something Damianos would silently hand over the money requested and they would move on, Tim hung back but Damianos placed money into his hand anyway. He won’t have to ask for anything, but he at least needed to go get what he needed, not wanting to argue the point any further, he ventured off on his own. Listening to the store owners whispers about a witch while he watched the witches back, turned from him at another stall.

Getting to be in charge of the food absolutely delighted Jay who moved from area to area picking and choosing, meats and vegetables, spices and herbs, sauces, and dips. Damianos had spent more money on food then he had ever imagined he would. Holding everything in woven baskets and feeling out ingredients he had not indulged in after his exile. Smiling to himself as he heard the boys whisper about where to go next, what else they needed.

A small child no older than a few years old came rushing over with pink tinting her cheeks, she thrust a small handful of picked flowers up at Damianos but ran away before he could bend down to her level and thank her properly. He looked down bewildered at the flowers in his hand and then back up searching for the direction the child ran off in, Richard giggled about how cute it was as Damianos slipped flowers out of the bunch to place carefully in his hair.

Moving himself over, Jay got a beautiful flower with large tipped petals placed above his ear, it smelled lovely and he joined in with the excitement. They kept walking onwards to search for new stalls, turning himself just enough to face Tim, Damianos handed him a flower to. Subtle but no less bright than the others hand been. He doesn’t slip it into his hair and hes grateful when its simply handed over to him instead.

Eventually even found himself pulled into the wonder that was being at the markets, pointing out things with the kids and taking part in the activities some of the stalls had set up. Children weren’t expected to shop so there were areas designated for them. There were women passing by who whispered about the handsome young man taking care of so many young children, he could remember how they had once talked about him so lightly.

Comments about how he was pretty and magical had surrounded him as he travelled, turning into sharp biting comments about his abilities and heritage. He had to remind him that they only liked the image of him and would always be displeased with who he truly is, a young man who was damaged and left to heal wrong. Listening to their harsh words was easier than their praise, Damianos continued on out of ear shot as quickly as he could.

“Look what I won!”

It was a little crown woven with sticks and rocks, beautifully made even for a simple child’s prize but Richard wore it with such pride, gleaming amongst the flowers in his hair. Jay had won candy at one stall and had managed to swindle a middle-aged man out of a beautifully cut dagger, hilted with a precious shining stone and wrapped with strong leather. Bounding up with a soft smile, Tim presented the beautiful book and quill he had been gifted by an older lady he helped.

“Now is everyone set to go home?”

“You didn’t get anything special though!”

“Mhm! Everyone needs something special to come home with!”

Placing his hands-on Jay and Richard’s cheeks with such gentleness, bending down to their level as he grinned so brightly at them. Telling the children that he had gotten something special out of their trip, that their happiness and their joy was enough of a gift. They whined and groaned about how cheesy it was, but they grabbed onto his robes none the less, leading the way back to their tree as the air started to get chilly and night began creeping up on them.

Walking closer than he had when they were walking to the markets, Tim joined in on the children’s retelling of the day and made jokes which made them giggle. He had cast himself to the outskirts of their group ever since the first night he had stayed with them, it was delightful to see him getting more comfortable around them. The boys had gotten bunk beds close to Damianos own bed; Tim had chosen to sleep further away but that night was different.

Getting home and unpacking was an ordeal the children wanted not part in, leaving Damianos to the work as they scattered themselves around the roots of the tree. It made him anxious to have the children outside so close to the edge of a massive unforgiving drop, listening to their yells of excitement and giggles to remind himself that they were alright. Putting away the foods and everything else they had purchased, slipping the blindfold off as he did.

“I don’t want a bunk bed with them, but do you think I could have a bed near you all?”

Damianos had been disrobing behind the pretty blinds he had painted with Jay after testing out how comfortable he felt doing small activities, when Tim spoke. He couldn’t see the young boy, but he could sense him just a few meters away, anxiously playing with his fingers. There had always been the invitation presented to the boy, a bed to be made if he ever desired to sleep on anything besides his backpack and spare clothes, it was wonderful that he was accepting.

“Of course, it shall be done.”

“Can you help me to dye my clothes later, like you did with the children?”

“You desire a specific colour?”

“The colour of my mother’s eyes.”

Drowning the room in a sudden icy silence, Damianos pushed the blinds aside and stared down at the young boy who had spoken like it was a test. It was spoken without malice or harshness but there was something that unsettled Damianos in the way he brought it up, eyes that bore into him the longer he stays silent. Resting his hand gently on Tim’s shoulder, he leans down and lets him know he will do the best he can before moving on to start dinner.

He doesn’t see the way Tim’s own hand lingers on the spot he had touched him after Damianos moves on, calling the children in to help with dinner like they had begged him to all the way home. Cutting up fresh vegetables and adding in things Damianos thought was unnecessary for a simple meal, but Jay was confident he knew what he wanted. Instructing the older man to do things a certain way, Tim joining them after some sullen moments of silence alone.

“Astarte.”

“Who?”

Instead of answering Damianos simply lifted up his hand, a beautiful dove coming to rest on his finger with a message strapped to its ankle. He had sent her off not long ago and she had flown valiantly, swift, and reliable as always to get his message there and their message to him. Unfurling the message while they sat down to eat dinner together, Damianos looked down at the words carefully before relaying the message onto the young children.

“While it breaks my heart to be apart from my children, you have my unyielding gratitude for taking them in without reward. If there is anything you can do for them, especially my young Jay, I beg that you do to the best of your abilities. Even apart I feel my children with me and will place them in your care until they are ready to be brought back to my side, please tell them that I love them more dearly than life itself and that I wish I was there with them.”

In lieu of their father back home the children through themselves onto Damianos, wrapping his arms around them as he skimmed through the other parts of the letter. There was an intense feeling, a familiar pang every time he saw the name scrawled across the bottom, Bruce Wayne. Furrowing his eyebrows, mouth drawn in a straight line, Damianos couldn’t picture anyone from his past with such a name and especially no one so important as to pull at his heart so much.

There was a request written down the bottom that he left out of his retelling to the children, settling them down in bed before penning his own response back to their father. A great many who took many children under his wing to care for him. Damianos couldn’t imagine what it took to admit that your children needed to be elsewhere to benefit them, admitting that there were limitations and things you couldn’t achieve yourself even as their parent.

“You are willing to take in more children?”

“Reading over somebodies’ shoulder is considered impolite.”

“Well? Are you?”

“He believes they could benefit from my guidance; Bruce also believes it would be good for them to all stay together, of course I am going to accept them.”

“To think that all it takes to soften you up is to give you vulnerable children.”

Once again there was a tone to the words he was saying, there was nothing that outright gave away what he meant by it but the way he stared before moving off to bed gave Damianos pause. He hoped Tim was settling in as well as he hoped he was, with his focus on Jay and Richard he felt like he had all but been ignoring the eldest of them all. As the boy got into bed, Damianos rested a hand on him and said his goodnight before moving on.

Starting up his current routine of searching, knelt on the grass exploring the potential answers to his problem. Visualizing all the elements at his disposal and the combinations he had learnt over time, filtering through what he had tried for Jay and what he had yet to attempt. Moving on to his mixtures Damianos began preparing for tomorrows testing, steady hands using the materials at his disposal, taking breaks only to tend to Jay when he would moan in pain in his sleep.

The names Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain and Barbara Gordon staring at him from the letter he had received earlier. Astarte was taking a short break before she would fly out to deliver his response, accepting three more children into his care from a man he had never met. As Damianos moved outside silently he told himself that as he raised the floor of the chasm, that he was doing it to allow Barbara to safely cross over to them.

He wasn’t doing it so that he could open himself up more, bringing himself outside to watch the children play in the grass. Letting them twine themselves amongst the roots staring up at the stars and listening them off like Damianos had taught them, eating some of the treats Jay had promised to teach him to make. As the ground settled into place once more Damianos felt himself opening up, an inevitable vulnerability falling into place like a dreadful piece of fate.


	5. self archiving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> now all the characters are here and things are looking warm and welcoming in Damianos' place, but bringing in so many powerful children means he cant hide from the darkness for long

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent so long hating this series only to get this out with plans for the next chapter and surprisngly fall in love with the concept, I might re do it with more care later and make it smoother so feel free to let me know what aspects you enjoy

Jay had begun feeling substantially better than he had when he first arrived, running around on the grass with Richard did not leave him bedridden. Hearing him laugh so joyfully through the windows was a sound that Damianos had not expected to hear but it filled him with unfettered happiness. Now that the children would find themselves outside at every free moment, Damianos had taken to leaving the door permanently there and windows built in to see through.

Although he had yet to heal the young boy, his physical state had improved dramatically, and it helped Damianos feel more at ease at night when he did not have to listen to whines of pain. Frantically putting together potions and creating spells to aid him through the night, fix the pains and heal what had been done to him. Richard was an interesting case in a separate way, a fae who found himself more interested in the natural side of his heritage than the law and order of their people. 

It was not that he could blame him at all for his disinterest in the historical divide between the good and the bad of their people, not many outside of elitist asshole probably cared anyway. He was more than happy to praise the way that Richard makes his flower crowns, each one chosen with a specific meaning, and thank him for gathering the right ingredients from the forest. Even after minimal guidance Richard had become truly connected with his surroundings.

Following the events at the market it had seemed that Tim made progress with connecting himself into the puzzle that was their little dynamic, but he had yet to make any more progress. He never went outside to play with the young ones but would sometimes go out to watch them, a grimace on his face as he watches them cover themselves in mud. Complaint on his tongue as they trek the mud inside, something he found himself almost slipping on.

They were never perfect, but it had become increasingly calmer and more enjoyable to be together, so their tree felt more homely when their guests arrived. Damianos had increased his magic reach further in anticipation of their arrival and to make sure they had not been followed by anyone, so he finished making food as they followed the path. Trees overhanging gave off enough shade, but the air still felt warm, Jay was complaining about the height from his bunk.

One of the children wore a high metal collar that hid the two piercing marks in her neck unmistakable glowing red eyes and a sharp gleam to her teeth whenever she grinned. Black coat top left open with harsh burnt whip marks scattered from her chest down to her abdomen, similarly coloured pants with interwoven golden thread that looked like beautifully crafted spider webs. She was the recently turned vampire child Cassandra.

Before she had been turned young Cass had been living with her warrior of a mother, her father took her away and wished to train her differently. His methods were crude and ineffective to achieve the degree of skill he wanted, so he had her turned into a vampire. The ‘creepy’ silence she moved around with bothered him to such a degree, that he had the vampire destroy her vocal cords while he was turning her, her voice had been taken from her.

It did not deter her confidence as she walked on with a purpose with her hands moved delicately as she spoke, words crafted through her movements and understood by the young lady walking beside her. The young lady being a hunter of a similar ilk to Tim although she did not come from a family creed like he had, Stephanie proudly wore the sigil on her shoulder from her adoptive group. Wide smile splitting her face as she spoke, hands moving in front of her.

A staff held in one hand behind her back, seemingly like an after thought but Damianos imagined she could wield it into action at a moments notice if it were needed. Purple markings smeared under her eyes and along the column of her neck, white clothes, baggy but hugging tight to her body at the hips and along her arms with white belts. Strapped shoes and armour along her shins and forearms, cloak pulled down, so her face is visible from behind the high neck.

She looked jovial and care free, the outfit made it seem like she was ill prepared to camouflage herself like a hunter’s job often demanded. However even from the first look Damianos gave her up and down, he could tell the young lady had experience and he trusted her intuition and habits. Although she had yet to look away from Cass, he could tell she had already noticed him through the window, a harsh angle yet she had already taken stock of him.

Between them was the youngest of the three that had been sent out to him, a young Oracle child named Barbara. Despite the terrain not being particularly favourable especially when they left the crafted pathway, her wheelchair still continued at the same speed as the people walking on either side of her. She held a bowl in her lap that sung to Damianos in a way that made him shiver, he had never experienced the natural magic of an Oracle before.

Their blessing was to be respected and gifted by the gods themselves, foresight amongst mortals could be a dangerous game. A magic he knew his mother would love to get her hands on, she could do enough with her own magic but to have an Oracle in her command, a horrible situation it would put the rest of them in. Her beautiful red hair was woven in with a wreath of fresh green leaves, although she has her full sight her iris appear a milky clouded white.

Loose robes hang off her body in shades of reds, oranges, and browns although none of the material seemed to obstruct the wheels as they continue to move beneath her. Hanging from her forehead is a stone that Damianos has only even read about in older written books, specially crafted for an Oracle by someone who cares deeply for them, often a parent or sibling. It helps to restrict the amount of overwhelming information entering her mind at all times.

Pushing the wheelchair is the guide that Damianos had sent out to help the young ladies, they did not have Richard’s ability to guide so he sent them help ahead of time. Athanasia was not partaking in the interesting conversation going on, on either side of her with smiles and grins, nor was she calmly looking forward like the young lady before her. She had a crueller twist to her mouth and a frown on her face, it would have been more concerning to see her without it truly.

“I do not remember agreeing to play babysitter for you and your hoard of children.”

“Did you not enjoy leaving mothers side for a spell?”

“My only joy was that I did not have to walk all that way with you this time.”

Finally, the group of three young ladies had been appropriately escorted the entire way, they were curiously looking around as Athanasia split off from them to speak to Damianos privately. Richard rushed at the opportunity to show they around and complimented young Barbara on her beautiful hair, blushing as he brought them inside. Stephanie was as tall if not taller than Tim and walked behind him, string at him with a curiously undecipherable look.

“Brother?”

“Yes, do you have something on your mind?”

“Do not pretend to have forgotten why I was sent out, if all you needed was a guide you could have sent one of your familiars out.”

He had not even shown the boys the extent of his familiars, animals crafted with the names of gods and imbued with power beyond belief. Damianos trusts them inexplicably with his life and could have most definitely left the task up to them, even if pushing a wheelchair could have posed a problem, he could have worked around it. So, there was indeed an ulterior motive to sending her out, the sister that he was never allowed to treat as such.

“There was not just one man there, but it was easy to tell who their foster father is, a fairly young man who has been turned into a vampire against his will. He took Cassandra in because they had experienced familiar circumstances, but it was not that same vampire, mother was in charge of them both turning however, she supplied the feral vampires.”

“Undignified of her, a changed human will never bow down to a feral vampire, no doubt she wanted to control them herself, yet they managed to escape her.”

“I do not remember out father and I am sure mother had everything to do with that, but do you recall anything about him?”

Damianos paused with thought as he considered the question, the both of them had been allowed minimal contact with each other but their father was even worse. Counting on his fingers the number of times he was allowed to interact with him left him with almost all of his fingers uncounted, he was as physical absent as Talia was emotionally absent. He had been angry at his father for so long for leaving him behind, but he had gotten over that long ago.

“An rud is annamh is iontach, the thing that is seldom is wonderful. Father used to tell us that even though our time together was short, that he treasured it more than anything.”

“The man who handed the children over in my care trusted me without asking for identification, the other older vampire there went to question me, but he stepped forward and stopped him. I did not feel like dawdling, so I gathered the children and began the journey home, but he stopped me, told me that he treasured our meeting. Confused I told him that our short meeting could hardly be considered memorable, he said an rud is annamh is iontach before letting me go.”

“You will not take coincidence as an appropriate response I imagine?”

“From your lack of surprise my suspicions were correct, you knew or at least suspected the man was our father and yet you have kept up this nonsense. Do you not realize that by connecting your lives like this you put him and these children at risk of our mother’s wrath, he has gone undetected for how long now and you are so selfishly putting him in danger?”

“I will not be lectured on selfishness by the woman who all but nearly killed me as a child for dearest mothers’ attention, I have my risks after fleeing and I am sure father is aware of his risks, just because you are not brave enough to follow does not mean we are at fault.”

She looked hurt and that was a rare look to ever see find itself across her features, wide open eyes, and mouth slightly parted. It felt good for all of two seconds before the weighing pressure of guilt almost made him buckle, his mother always did this to him, even just the mention of her makes him put his guard up and get defensive. Used to having to defend his position. He had been treated horribly as Talia’s favourite, why had Athanasia ever wanted to swap places with him?

“You are always welcome here with us, you are my sister and I love you.”

“Damianos, my place is by her side and even if you do not understand that I hope you at least respect me enough to believe I am making the right choice. I love you more than I can say.”

With those words she left her place at his side and freely walked from the tree back to the path, the ground below her lush where there had been a terrible chasm once before. It felt like he was building bridges to connect with things he had long since felt like he had abounded. His sister was going through something and Damianos wanted to help but for now he had children to make feel welcomed, their journey had been long and harsh no doubt.

Unsurprisingly he entered the tree to see things were relatively trashed, Richard no doubt in his excitement to show everything off. There lay a pile of sleeping bodies near the bunk beds but neither of the young boys seemed to have made it up, choosing to sleep amongst the ladies who had yet to chose where their beds would go. He left them to sleep while he moved around cleaning up by hand, eyes brushing over Tim who alone had made it into his bed.

“You are different to what I expected, mister.”

Out of the newest additions Stephanie was the eldest and despite her smiles and laughs earlier, she definitely had a keen eye and was watching him as he approached his crafting bench. He must be getting comfortable given he had not even noticed her get up and approach him, looking sleepy in the clothes she had arrived in but without the straps tightening the material. Stephanie did not look at him with malice, so he assumed it was not a bad misconception.

“We walked past some townspeople who asked where we were going, when we mentioned your name, they all shrunk back and warned us about Damianos the witch. He who wears nothing but black, his inky dark magic pierces the ground around him. Blah blah blah, it was a whole speech filled with drivel, but it did make me surprised to see you in such a fine gown of blues, pinks and purples.”

“They have not seen the changes the boys seem to have brought about in me, I do not blame their hesitation and I actually quite appreciate the effort as their warnings keep everyone else from venturing out here and bothering us.”

“Even though we had not spent much time together before Dick left with Jason, I know those boys fairly well and you have accommodated them better than I had expected. They love you dearly and trust you in a way that I can not simply call blind devotion. In place of our father, I will thank you in person for all you have done for them and all you continue to do.”

Damianos shook off the need for praise but decided to use this moment to sort some things out with the young lady who seemed well versed in organizing with large groups of people. She seemed interested in growing things as it had been her way to source food growing up so he partnered her with Richard, they could work together to create a garden. With Jay’s hearing being a worry, he asked if Cass could help teach him sign language.

Barbara could be an amazing help with sourcing information to help with Jay’s recovery so she was to help out with Damianos when she could. He was told it was best not to overexert her mind but that she was strong and would try her hardest as often as she could, Damianos smiled at the way Stephanie spoke about her with such pride. They spoke until her yawning interrupted her words to often, she went back to sleeping on the floor with a final goodnight.

Come the next morning thing were even more lively than usual, the girls got their introductions with Damianos that they had not quite gotten yesterday. He organized their sleeping situations and explained that they could get changed behind the curtain, with the increasing number getting ready took more time but Damianos was just happy to see the boys with new friends. Cass had already taught them some easy sign language yesterday.

More so than usual Tim hung back as everyone went about their days and Damianos tried not to worry as he tasked him with archery practise, Stephanie was already outside practising her staff while Jay saw how high up in the tree he could jump down from. Richard was a menace who kept distracting Barbara and making her laugh during his teachings, so he sent him off to gather ingredients, once he learnt they were to help Babs he was more than happy to go.

He had been told that Barbara could use some guidance in understanding the stars and things that often influenced her prophecies and foresight, so he had her pull her wheelchair up to the table and placed some books in front of her. Damianos had created an outfit for the current topic made of twisting, darker blues and purples that mimicked space with sprinklings of real stars captured within the folds of his heavy gown.

Placing his hair with buns at the top pinned in place with rods, tiny planets hanging from the end of them with other aspects of space pinned to the rest of his hair flowing down his back. He used each piece to project information out for her, explaining as he went, how stars were created and how they were positioned. The planets and what makes up their surfaces, how deep they run until you reach the core, using his magic to bring her on a journey.

Over where Damianos himself used to meditate, Cass was kneeling there focused and he could see the scars across her body glowing as she works to heal them. She had wrapped her chest and her muddy yellow jumpsuit was pushed down to her waist, for a vampire to have trouble healing means whatever injured her had been seriously holy. For whatever God you may believe in, holy blessed objects can hold power over even the strongest of bodies.

“Thank you Dami.”

She had been so riveted by the information that she had not noticed her body growing heavy with fatigue, Barbara’s ability to process information was beyond impressive and she took in more information quicker than Damianos could ever hope to achieve himself. They had been so respectful when addressing him that he found himself smiling as the nickname slipped out, Richard had done it too a few nights in before drifting off to sleep.

“Evil energy holds a presence over this place.”

A pull at his clothes had caused him to turn around and he watched as she spelled out her words with her hands, it was nothing he did not know but he dreaded the children being able to sense it. Explaining it away as the darker parts of his powers did not get accepted as an excuse, he had not wanted to have to acknowledge to them that something foreboding held control over them. They were meant to be free from and danger with him.

“I will keep you safe, do not worry because I am here to keep you all safe.”

“You cannot keep everyone safe.”

Even though she had fallen asleep and was safely tucked into her bed, the words had left Barbara’s lips without her body flinching or eyes moving. She was still asleep, and it made a full body shiver run through Damianos entire body. An Oracle could be wrong, or misguided Damianos convinced himself as he ushered everyone back inside, especially one that was as drained as young Barbara. He reasoned and reasoned until the dread pulsing through him vanished to a dull ache.

“Not everyone will survive.”


	6. self heal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> happiness has to come to an end some time and this is a situation the family will not easily recover from

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is finally finished and although six chapters is not the most I have written this one took a lot out of me, it never felt like enough but i wanted to keep putting them out there so hopefully I can revise this and make it smoother and better now that its all finished! I hope that people got to enjoy it in their own ways and I would love to know any bits that stand out as good or memorable!

A scream that shook Damianos to his very core, brought him to an abrupt stop as he listens carefully to the familiar voice, the screams are filled with agonizing pain and terror. It shakes him so badly that he shoots forward on instinct, finally waking himself up from where he had fallen asleep. Where there was heartbreaking cries for help, all Damianos can now hear is the squealing and giggling coming from the children, playing with each other a few metres ahead.

Teaching at home had become so stagnant that it was impeding on his ability to actually help the children learn what they had come to learn, so when he had heard none of them had ever been to a beach before. It was obvious what he had to do, taking them to the beach on the idea that it would be a teachable moment. Especially for Barbara, whose abilities could be better understood when studying the waves and their connection to space itself.

He had told them to go play among themselves while he got things ready, but he had enjoyed watching them play, managing to fall asleep instead of doing anything useful. Pushing up from the chair he had been lounging on, Damianos summons the books and materials he had been meaning to do half an hour ago. None of the children seemed to have minded the short break, delighted in their discoveries of course sand and salty sea water.

Jay was on the edge of the water, it lapped at his feet as he shook the saltiness from his hair, it seems someone had managed to throw him into the water. Richard was on the sand giggling, he must have fallen over with how hard he was laughing up until Jay throws himself down onto him, subsequently making both of their clothes now wet. Cass was racing Steph up and down the sand, testing their mobility on a different surface than they usually have to work with.

Barbara was sat on the sand close to where everyone was moving around, chair next to her as she moves the sand between her fingers. There was a studious focus in her gaze as she moved the sand around with her fingers, clearly, she had been more prepared to learn than Damianos had as he had quickly fallen asleep. Tim was standing with his pants rolled up in the water, staring out across the horizon like he was looking for something.

“It is a good thing you warned us about jellyfish before we came down here, Dick saw one swimming through the water an instinctively went to touch it because it was pretty, thankfully he was stopped.”

“Apologizes for making you all watch each other.”

“Your body calls for sleep when it is needed sir, I have noticed something troubling you lately and you haven’t been sleeping more than a few moments because of it, watching over each other, and giving you a break was no major issue.”

She looked up when she spoke of what has been conflicting him over the past few weeks but there was no judgment in her stare, more like she was assessing just how much to say before Damianos would back off to avoid talking about it. Barbara had enough to worry about without Damianos adding to it, so he smiled at her, sitting down beside her and laying down what they needed in front of them, beginning to speak about what he had come here to teach.

Richard was sent off to search for different ingredients to test his intuition and what he had studied while Jay was asked to join the girls to test how far his body had come. There was significant and noticeable improvement in his condition since he arrived, a large grin on his face as he tried to out run Steph. No longer did he grimace and wince when asked to go at a speed anywhere past a walk, now he was bounding along the sand until he wears himself out.

Fair folk do not tend to find an interest in the sea especially given its so far from the forests they are familiar with, the sea is far more daunting and depth-less. However, Richard had found a gleeful joy at the idea of going to the beach and had been fascinated by Damianos outfit all morning. His skirt is short but flows with the rhythmic movements of a jellyfish, white fishing line for long sleeves and stockings, a typical sailor aesthetic for a dress.

Thankfully, his witches’ hat was keeping the sun away from him, extreme heats are something he can bear but wishes to avoid at all costs. While acting as the scavenger for their materials, Richard could not help himself and found out first hand, why exactly, you should not go around touching jellyfish. Sitting on Damianos lap with teary eyes and a wobbly pout on his lips, promising not to touch one again as Damianos gently healed the sting wrapped around his palm and wrist.

“Learning lessons is important in life even if they are painful ones, thankfully this can be healed quite easily, but next time sweetheart please be more careful when acting in curiosity.”

“I promise I will, sorry for not listening to you.”

“Curiosity is important, and I do not want to make you scared to take chances in the future, I just want my precious boy to be safe.”

He seemed to find his energy back quickly after that, running away to continue his search for something particularly new and exotic. As the day went on, they spent more time playing then they did learning and eventually it was time for Damianos to bring the lot of them home, as they walked, they were already asking about the next time they could go. Most of them were holding armfuls of seashells that Richard had collected, Damianos was no different.

As the salty smell of seawater faded and the sand turned into the familiar feel of dirt and grass, Damianos felt a certain sense of urgency which continues to drive his movements every time he leaves the house with the children. There is a worrying feeling of a lack of safety as he tries to guide them back home, keeping an eye on them to make sure everyone was close by, the paranoia had been eating him alive and making it difficult to relax.

Leaving them at home does little to quell his worries because with them separated, there is an even bigger risk of them going unprotected, so he keeps them close at all times. Being one of the strongest magic users similarly does little to make his thoughts more reasonable, something is chipping away at him and it was no different as they walked back from the beach. Hyper aware of everything happening around him, expending enormous amounts of energy.

Watching out for anyone who could be stalking them looking to attack, Damianos has his magic reach out further and further with every step. Trying to cover all his bases, reaching as far out as he can focus on while still trying to appear joyful when sparing a thought to interact with the children. Either he was doing this to himself or someone is accurately and effectively trying to wear him down, magic crackling under his skin warmer and more over used than he had felt it be in some time.

Nothing happens and they thankfully make it through the front door in one piece, the children moving around and discussing where they think the shells would look best. Damianos could feel Tim’s eyes on him as he collapsed into the dining room chair, Jay following suit by climbing onto the chair to reach the cookies laid out on a plate in the middle of the table. Steph took over while Damianos sat there in a daze, brain working overtime to analyse any inconsistencies from their trip.

He might not have noticed anything while walking but he needed to think it over until he could figure out what was bothering him, the absolute lack of anything being picked up by his mind or his magic was making him feel like it was all in his head. There was no way for him to worry less about the kids, but he could be worrying about the wrong things, his focus was slipping from their studies and he needed to be more attuned to their needs.

Shaking off the worries of the day as he stepped in to help Steph with the dinner, Jay quickly bounding over to his side to help choose the spices and herbs to put in. Sprinkling them over in and with his small hands, wide eyes filled with excitement as Damianos lets him have a taste before anyone else gets one. Richard whining about being hungry from where he lays draped over the chair upside down, watching them work from the feet up.

“Things will go quicker if you help set the table.”

“I did it last time though!”

“Actually, I did it last time, you fell asleep and had a nap before dinner.”

“No way, I would not do-,”

“You totally did, you fell asleep at the table when you were meant to set it.”

Blocking out Richard and Barbara as they bicker over setting the table, both of them placing cups and bowls without really thinking about it. Cass was kneeling over on the grass meditating and her body looked far healthier than it had when she first arrived too, scars did not disappear, but they were acting as less of a burden on her body. They did not pull uncomfortably when she moved, and they now ached less, or at least that is when she explained to him.

Dinner was wonderful like it was every night they made something new and delicious, gathering around the table to tell their day even though everyone is there for all of it. Richard managing to make a mess every time with his food as he talks excitedly about his discoveries and Jay boasting about his skills. Barbara explaining what she had learnt while Cass describes how she feels. Steph had gotten the closest with Tim out of them all and would talk about what they did together.

“-and then I totally beat Cass in our final race! She thinks it does not count because I tripped over and fell across the line, but I crossed it before her!”

Stopping any bickering from ensuing was a noise that had Damianos out of his seat before he had even fully processed what he had heard, the silent alarm for the perimeter. Well, it is silent for everyone outside of the house and Damianos could feel the magic tighten around himself and throw him into action, not just anything sets off his magic like this. The children had gotten up from the table, food in different states of devoured, looks of worry on their faces.

Movement right outside the house has Damianos throwing the door open and stalking outside in confusion, the perimeter starts to far away for them to have already made it this close. Something had gotten past his alarms without alerting him and the alarm had been used to set off a delayed reaction. Reinforcing the magic coursing through the tree, Damianos turns around to tell the kids not to come outside with him and that everything will be fine.

Bile rises in his throat as he looks over the children and notices one missing, but the feeling is not of someone having been taken from him, when he thinks back on it there had been someone missing from the table for a short while now. Richard was holding onto Barbara’s hand in such a tight grip, Jay was clutching the fabric of Richard’s clothes in his fists and Cass was standing just in front of Barbara in a protective stance with Steph right beside her.

“Where is Tim?”

Silence fell over them all as they looked around, eyes widening as they seemed even more scared than they had when the alarm went off. There was a grimace of Steph’s face as Damianos yelled the question at them with more desperation in his voice then he had intended, as much as they tried to push it down it was too close to what they had expected. Steph had been blinded by love and Damianos had been blinded by a sense of responsibility, hoping it was not true.

“I know you are not naïve, you suspected something was off from the beginning, but you were never going to deny a child in need. Your fatal flaw is that you care too much, you did not want to have ill feelings towards someone so young and helpless, you look for the good in people.”

He was standing there with his gear strapped to him, kept in good condition despite the fact that Damianos had not seen any of it since he settled into the house. There were moments he where he wanted to suspect that Tim was with them for nefarious reasons, but he could not bring himself to doubt and blame a child. An orphan who had come because of actions Damianos had made in the past, a child he only wanted to help be better than his circumstances.

Now his hair was pulled back into a bun and out of his face, it had grown longer since he first arrived, and he looked so much more mature than he had back then. Determination etched into his features and his eyes shone with a horrible darkness, bow in one hand and knives across his thighs, heavy boots, and clothes similar to those he had arrived in. Tim stood with a confidence of someone who feared nothing and had achieved everything they had ever dreamed of.

While the magic being poured into the tree kept the defenses tight and impenetrable to the enemies who started filtering out through the trees, it was not in place to stop anyone inside from coming out of the tree. He had told them, instructed them, basically begged them to stay inside the tree but they came out with hurt looks on their faces. All of them wanted this not to be true, Tim was never approachable, but they did not want him to be their enemy.

Sitting back Barbara’s eyes were glazed over and her hands held her instruments in front of her, fingers moving over them. Most likely she had seen how this would play out since she arrived and maybe even before that, yet she would not tell them even if they asked. The future could not be changed and was only for her to bear alone, for her to understand and decipher before coming to terms with what would happen, how unchangeable fate is.

“Your grievances are with me, leave the children out of this.”

“Oh, but you and I both know that is not how this will play out, it has been orchestrated too well to end so soon over your dead body.”

The people standing around him were not soldiers from his father’s creed, but they sent a disturbing chill up his spine, looking over them he could not place it before he made eye contact with the woman in the centre. She looked different, they all did, but that is what happens when you have not seen someone since they were a young child and now, they stand before you much older. Red and black uniforms blowing in the light breeze.

“Mara? What are you doing here?”

No one raised under the influence of Talia Al Ghul would turn out okay, but Mara had always been more broken than the rest, her need to feel validated by someone so vile made her just as insufferable and horrendous. Those next to her were not fey like they are, distinct aspects of their bodies had been changed but he could tell they used to be human. More experiments no doubt that had led them down this path in life, influenced by his mother.

Plague, Stone, Blank and Nightstorm. Their names gave a small inkling into what had been done to them, but it would be tricky to engage in battle without confirming, he needed to make Mara talk and it was always easy to goad her into a fight. Damianos had changed into a simple light blue gown when he was inside but as he took some steps forward, he felt in shift and change around him, colours darkening as he stood before his enemy.

Starting from the tips of his fingers and finishing at his biceps, Damianos felt the inky black darkness shifting across his skin and darkening it like a glove he had not slipped on in forever. The same happened from the tips of his toes to the middle of his thighs, beginning at his clavicle it travelled up to his neck. Where the blackness did not reach his skin turned an ashy grey colour, it was not just his appearance that changes ad his aura began to drop from its recently warm tone.

Cloak falling over his shoulders and billowing at his feet, running off around him and sizzling like smoke, the crackling smell of something burning. Now she stood before them all in a way she had yet to ever appear in front of the children, conscious of their positions behind him but not turning around to check on them. Putting his own body between the side he wanted to protect and the side he wanted to attack, drawing attention to himself by doing so.

“I never thought I would see you doing the bidding of anyone but mother.”

“Something this well-orchestrated and you do not think Lady Talia has a hand in it?”

“Well-orchestrated, your delusions betray you as per usual, if she wanted somebody to attack me and win then she would not have sent you out to meet me, now would she? Does she still about how you have never once bested me in battle?”

There was an anger in her that Damianos could never draw out of her and free her from, the only way he got to face her was when she had blood lust gripping her heart and mind. She stood before him more composed than she had been able to achieve as a child, but she was still quick for the trigger, drawing a sword from her back and sneering, eyes focused on her as the people behind her fall into similar positions one by one with their eyes trained on him.

“As touching as this reunion is, I have other matters to attend to before everything is in position.”

“If you think I plan on letting you leave my sight-,”

“So easily distracted, cousin of mine, you seem to have slipped further than Lady Talia predicted.”

Manifesting a sword in his left hand Damianos swung it in time to meet with Mara who had jumped forward with unprecedented speed, she had certainly kept up her training in the court. Tim watched them interacted before he started stepping back from the scene, with one last look he turned around and headed off into the trees from where they had just come from. Pushing through Mara’s group would not be impossible, but it would leave the children vulnerable.

“I will follow after him.”

“You can not put yourself in that kind of danger, this is my fight, and I am not risking you over his insanity, I want you safe with the rest of the children.”

“Damianos, I am not a child like the rest of them and I cannot feign ignorance, I sensed a darkness in him much like yourself, but I wanted to believe I could help him. This is as much my fault as any for not being able to stop the monster he became.”

“No blame belong to you Stephanie, he used us as means to an end, an end I will bring about myself.”

“Sorry but I cannot let you put yourself in that danger sir, these children depend on you to protect them and I will do anything I can to help you. Do not worry yourself too much though, that goes for all you kids as well, I will see you soon!”

Although the mood was severe and shifting with darkness, she had the bright smile on her face which she had worn over the weeks, a comfort everyone needed despite all the feelings it hid behind, all the worry and dread building up in her. Damianos could not stop her before she ran off after Tim to stop whatever it was, he had headed off to complete, turning around briefly Damianos could see the faces of the children standing behind them.

Even with the scary situation and the fear he could feel in all of them, they were determined and were all in readied fighting stances. He could not let anything happen to them and he had to trust Steph to handle her end of it, if he worried over protecting her then he would not be able to protect any of them. Swinging the sword forward with force Mara was forced to jump backwards, her own sword brought back up in preparation to come at him again.

“I will not let you hurt them.”

“So confident you can protect them? Lady Talia has written your fate and it does not end happily.”

With that she charged forward and Damianos was thrown into a battle facing off against her entire team, she called them forth with the name ‘Demon’s Fist’ and it made him feel disgusted. How far had they all fallen since he left that they would focus their energy on such a dark place, they mixed their own shifted biology with sword fighting. Damianos brought out his magic when necessary, mind working to filter through the spells he needed while fending them off.

They moved along the grass which was now scorched in parts, the ground was uneven and brought up in places but Damianos had trained under harsher circumstances. None of them came close to penetrating the protective layer he has weaved across his own body except for Mara, her movements were eerily like his own back when he belonged to his mother. She had come so far down that she needed to mimic him to try get his spot in his mother’s eyes.

Pushing him back with speed and strength he had not had to fight against in years, close combat situations were few and far between when you could keep people back with magic alone. He knew however not to rely too heavily on his magic, he needed to focus it on protecting his family and his swordsmanship was enough to allow him to keep up with her. Switching hands whenever he needed to meet her blade, the noise loud and reverberating through his hands.

Along the blade, eyes flicker back and forth as they assess the battle situation around him, the rest of the Demon’s Fist had been fairly easy to incapacitate but Mara was holding on with a disgusting determination. She was here to prove herself and follow along his mothers wishes but he could not for the life of him place why she would be involved, how had Tim even come close to working with the likes of his mother especially as a mere human being. 

“You are spending too much of your energy on trying to figure out what is happening, how you could have put these children in danger and your love for them will be the reason I win today.”

She drove her sword up through him, heaving him up with a strength she had not come close to possessing all those years ago when they had fought. Pitted against each other in order to demonstrate the divide, to show her she would never be close to the strengths and skills of the main family, but it had never deterred her. Now she stood proud with his blood dripping onto her face, grinning as it stains her white teeth red.

“Lady Talia trained us and only us, we are being trusted with this because she finds us all capable of dealing with someone as weak as you. Even if you were at full strength, I am sure Lady Talia would have entrusted us with her desires, weakening you all this time was surely just to give a human like Timothy a fighting chance alongside us.”

Knocking it up further she tries to drive it through him completely, starting from the bottom of his ribcage up to his sternum. Slick with blood, Damianos hands gripped at the blade currently leaving him impaled in the air. Breathe coming out of him in haggard slow puffs that were getting hard to force out, the grass below them was slick and now absolutely covered in the blood pouring out of his wound, open and nasty for Mara to see with pride.

“There were two reasons that Lady Talia forced the children into your care. One was because she knew they would make you weak, your worry over them and your attention being on them would make you distracted and with a lowered guard you would be easier to penetrate. Now the second reason was quite the opposite which probably sounds contradictory but knowing Lady Talia-,”

“Fucking shut up, God you have already told me enough.”

Even the children blinked a few times in that moment, wanting to rub their eyes to make sure they had just seen what happened in the way that happened. Instead of standing triumphant with Damianos skewered on her sword he was standing back in his original position before she had gotten close enough to stab him, she was also further away with her sword lowered and free of blood. She looked around her in confusion, a growl low in her throat.

“I knew it had been mother behind Jay’s situation, but I had not expected it to have been the catalyst that ignited her plan, she whispered into ears to have Bruce inadvertently let Richard know about myself and she helped them get all the way out here. The she continued to manipulate him into sending his children out to me, waiting for me to get close with them all, wanting me to soften up before striking where it hurts.”

Damianos put away the time piece which he had been holding in his hand, shifting time is not the easiest magic for him to use but Mara was easier to have talk when she felt she was victorious. Although he can revert time back, it does not mean he never experienced what happened before, the phantom feeling of the sword going through him stinging despite the lack of a wound. Inconvenient but useful none the less, he brought his sword back up.

“My apologizes for being the reason you have had to experience these pains Jay, sweetheart you never deserved any of this, but I am so glad I got to take care of you. Whatever mother wished to get out of Jay, she will never achieve because Barbara and I have finally helped him into a healthy state.”

“A shame really, after all that arduous work that it would have to end like this then.”

It was like he had gone forward in time without his permission in every one of those instances, his mind blank and filled with the harrowing cries of someone in pain. Screaming out for help as their life is taken from them, Damianos has had to live that moment over and over again for so long now that some might think he had gotten used to it, that it would not affect him. In that moment though, no amount of preparation could have prepared him for this.

Everything felt like it moved in slow motion as Damianos turned his body around to the children behind him, all of them too shocked to move as Jay fell down to his knee. His leg from the thigh down had been severed and was bleeding too heavily, if they did not cauterize the wound and heal him then it could kill him. All of the other children were easily blown away by Nightstorm who had gotten up while he was distracted by Mara, Blank was standing but looked different.

He had mimicked the abilities of someone who could manipulate spiders’ webs, but they were tough enough to slice through Jay’s thicker skin, he was screaming in pain and tears were running down his cheeks. Desperation marred his usually cheerful expression as he reached forward for Damianos, as he moved forward to grab Jay’s hand, he watched Blank move and in the next second Jay was clutching his arm where it had been severed in one clean movement.

Mara had plague cover he sword in something that was only now taking effect, Damianos was using his magic to flush it out of his system but it had paralysed him in place. Hand still outreached for Jay to grab but unable to move further like Jay is begging him to do, he is scared and in pain and there is so much blood, Damianos cannot reverse time again so soon to heal him. If he does not move now, he is going to lose Jay to blood loss before he can save him.

“Stop thinking about saving him because you cannot save anyone, Lady Talia wants you to know this.”

Blank was making different pictures with the thick spider’s web woven between his fingers, he was having fun with this as he stalked forward until he was right behind Jason. This time Jay did not even have a voice enough to scream when his other leg was taken from him, falling forward onto the ground in front of him. Still trying to fight, pushing his body up with one arm but Blank did not let him get far, stepping on his back and pushing him down.

“Let me go, this has nothing to do with him! You can kill me, torture me or take me back to Talia, whatever you need from me I will give you, but this has nothing to do with my children! Stop hurting them when you want to be hurting me!”

“By hurting them we are hurting you, I have not seen a despair so sweet like this in some time and coming from you? I have lived my entire life wanting to bring you this kind of pain, why would I stop?”

“Fuck okay Jay, Jason sweetheart I am so sorry, this is my fault and as soon as I can get over there, I promise I will help you and then I will make sure they pay for what they did to you, sweetheart it breaks my heart to see you like this, this is all my fault, I love you so much and I have only brought you pain.”

“Dami, I know families are not always very nice. But you were nicer to me than my mommy or daddy were, they never told me they loved me, you always made sure I knew. You let me cook and eat and go to fun places and run around with other kids. I love yo-,”

He was hiccupping and crying through his words, each breathe wheezing out of him made it harder for him to talk but the blood coming out of him was worrying Damianos more than anything. Jason looked pale and cold, sweat dripping down his forehead and blood dribbling from his lips at the pressuring of Blank’s weight on his back, crushing him until it was impossible for him to speak. As the feeling entered his body slowly Damianos felt seconds away from moving.

“Guess you are probably worried about him bleeding to death, do not worry yourself over that, he will not even last long enough to bleed out.”

Mara threw the sword over to Blank who caught it without looking at her, his eyes were trained on Damianos and only him as he drove the sword down between Jason’s shoulder blades. In an instant the fading light in his eyes was completely snuffed out, his body which had been struggling went completely limp. Blood continuing to pour out of wounds which had only worked to make him suffer, they had never been necessary to kill him.

“We are meant to bring him back to Lady Talia, she can bring him through to Pit until he is in decent shape again, though he probably won’t remember who he is or any of you, what a pity.”

The last word left him, and it was the last word he ever spoke, Damianos sharp nails going straight through his throat. Blood dribbles from his mouth but he ends his suffering far too soon, forcing his hand up through his skull and splitting him in half. Vision going black as soon as he turns around, Plague in front of him trying to and succeeding in completely blinding him but he had fought like this, though none of that training is necessary.

Bringing up his magic from the sword in his grip, ten eyes appear over his face all open and flickering like they had been on his sword. Going completely silent Damianos rushes forward and shoots his arm through her chest, ripping her heart out and bringing it to his mouth, teeth tearing through it while she is forced to watch, body falling forward with his help and he smashes her face against his knee. It was slowly heating up around them, his magic flowing and growing in intensity.

Richard, Barbara, and Cass had gotten up from where they had been blown away, but they could not move even if they wanted to. Eyes still fixated on the now deceased body of the person they love so dearly, covering their mouths as they cry out and full body sobs wrack through their bodies. Trying to keep the attention away from themselves, they fear the enemy but Damianos no longer brings them the comfort that they need from a father figure.

He stands tall with red now bleeding to the surface between the harsh blacks and greys of his body, if they focus on him, they can watch the molten colour move beneath his skin. Fire lapping against his feet and along the palms of his hand, running along strands of his hair but the proximity to the heat did not seem to faze him. If anything, it seemed to make him stronger, gaining confidence in himself as he turned once again behind him to face Nightstorm.

Desperation was making him raise his arms in an effort to take down the remaining children in one go but Damianos was before him in that moment, he could barely even breathe as Damianos searing grip grabs his arms and tears them off. Holding his hand against Nightstorm’s chest it seems to bubble with heat and below his skin glows with an eerie glow, his screams cut off as his body explodes from within, heated to a temperature he could not withstand. 

Even without an Oracle at his disposal Stone could understand where fate was bringing him, but he rushed forward anyway, the Demon’s Fist were like a family to him and he had just watched Damianos slaughter three of them. Avenging them and protecting Mara took priority over everything, anxiety pushed down as he moved to face off against the strongest foe he had ever come into contact with, yelling as his hard body drove forward to knock Damianos down.

Not that he even made it close to doing so, Damianos fiery grip wrenched his head off of his own neck and crushing it between his hands. Stepping his foot through Stone’s sternum and shoving the remains of his decapitated head into the hole. Damianos had not uttered a single word since he witnessed Jason die but the silence that fell after he had taken out four of Talia’s strongest fighters was something, they could all sense, staring at the beast before them.

The second reason Talia had brought the children to him was to watch him break, she wanted to watch as the softness was burnt up and driven out as he fought with agony and pain driving any other thought from his mind. She might have thought they were capable fighters, but Talia sent them because they were expendable, warriors who could be used and disposed of when they lost their worth and they had never really had worth to begin with.

“Accept defeat.”

“Over my dead body.”

“As you wish.”

Mara had the cleanest death of all, even in his state there was sentimentality in his actions as he shot a bullet of fire through her skull and watched her body fall peacefully to the grass below her. Eyes faded and body finally free of the tense pressure she constantly invokes in herself, and for a moment Damianos considered following suit. Putting a bullet through his own head and reaching that peacefulness she gets to experience but he feels a tug at his clothes.

There is blood and so much worse over him, but Richard still stands there with his hand grabbing at him, watery eyes with tears threatening to fall but he keeps a stern face. It is too hot for him to stand this close and the fear of hurting him brings Damianos out of his own head, dropping to his knees and almost toppling Richard over in the process. Despite how disgusting he currently is Richard accepts the arms Damianos throws around him, hugging him to his chest.

“I am sorry, I am so so sorry, you brought him here to be healed and protected, I am so sorry.”

Even though he was still hurting Richard put on a brave face, sniffling as he runs his fingers through Damianos hair and tells him that it is not his fault and that they can give him a proper funeral instead of letting Talia use his body. Richard forces Damianos head up so they could look at each other, he reminds Damianos that he loves him and that they can get through it which finally breaks Damianos down into tears as Barbara and Cass make their way over.

“Earlier you said learning lessons is important, we had to learn a lesson about grief and love, we are learning from the mistakes of those bad people that attacked us, we will be hurt for so long, but we will heal with time and we will have each other.”

Barbara pushed his hair back from his face and leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead, smiling at him despite the tears that continue to dribble down her cheeks. She has experienced this too, dealing with this much pain must have been harrowing but she was right. They had to persevere and heal from this, now they had to keep going though before it could get worse, Damianos had to step in and face off against Tim.

Without sharing any more words, they go off to follow the direction Steph had follow Tim in earlier, hopefully they had not spent too much time against the Demon’s Fist. Rushing forward, things felt a little lighter than they had been, the heaviness of Jason’s death hangs over them, but they can do something if they just get there in time for Steph. The hope that things can change, that no more death will happen, is dashed with their first steps out of the thickest part of the woods.

Tim stared down Damianos directly as he brought the knife up and slashed Stephanie’s throat, blood pouring from the wound as she desperately grabs at it. Eyes staring up at him in hopeless desperation before she falls to her knees, slumping forward as her body relaxes. Stepping forward Damianos watches as Tim steps on the back of her throat, unlike before there is no cocky grin on his features, he just looks focused on Damianos who steps fully in front of the children behind him.

“I told Talia not to bring Stephanie into it, but I guess she wanted to test me, I really did like her.”

“You murdered her like it was nothing.”

“Do not presume to understand how I feel, I have worked too hard for this to stop now for her.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I was aimless when your mother found me, newly orphaned she had an interest in my abilities.”

“Abilities? What abilities could have-,”

“Killing my father was easy, when my mother died the fight left him and he had come to understand that his place was below creatures like you. Hunters fight the unnatural, but he had witnessed how truly human he was and wanted to focus on his family, his weak will disgusted me, and I killed him for how he had betrayed our family.”

There had been no hesitation in the young boy when he had slit his fathers throat, he had looked at him with the same loving devotions Stephanie had just moments, ago two people who had loved a monster and had died because of it. Wiping the blood off on his clothes, Tim leaves her body behind and walks closer to Damianos as he continues to speak about his past, telling the tale in a separate way than he had spoken about before during their first meeting.

“Your mother had been using the hunters to find out where you were and she came across me in place of my father, offered me an opportunity to do what my father could not and that was to rise above the likes of failures like you. Scum who are not worthy of their own abilities or status, your mother was the one I sent a message to right back at the beginning, you trusted me too much to believe it could have been going to such a person,

Being a test subject for your mother was a drag but I knew I needed it, for how pathetic you are there is immense power in you that I wish to quell with my own hands. I do not particularly blame you for the deaths of my parents, this is not some childish grudge against you for anything like that at all, I just want to see you brought down to your knees like my father was. I want to watch you admit to how pathetic you are, I want to ruin you.”

“Killing children because you want to make people hurt? What kind of pathetic reasoning is that? I would never bow a knee to someone like you but do feel free to try, i am already having to dig quite a few graves today I am more than happy to make it one more.”

No more words were spoken as they rushed forward to meet each other, Tim drawing a sword from his back as Damianos brandishes his own. As Tim summons animals from the shadows to attack, Damianos in turn summons his familiars who all come to defend him. Strength not usually acknowledged given the size of most of his animals, but they tear apart all of Tim’s constructs, moving with efficiency and trust in one and other.

His mother had given Tim enough attributes to cause damage, using water to put out the building fire inside of him but Damianos acted fast and drove lighting up through the stream of water Tim produced to put out any lingering flames. As he uses a wall of flames to protect himself Damianos pushes forward a whirlwind that collects his measly flames and intensifies them, driving him back and away from his own protection until they are clashing swords again.

Getting a lucky shot in Tim drives the earth down and uses it to push Damianos away into the earth, using the opportunity to leap himself up into the trees and perch on them. Hands collecting his bow without even having to take his eyes of Damianos, knocking an arrow of gold and watching it go straight through Damianos left arm. Clicking his tongue at the intrusion, Damianos pulls it out and snaps it in half, he has weapons that can get through his magic.

“Mother pitied your miserable strength enough to give you so many toys.”

It was a continuous back and forth between them, using elements until they were panting and beginning to feel the effects themselves. Damianos was starting to feel the burn as it runs hot through his body, Tim feeling a similar burn but through the chill of ice pumping through his veins and clutching at his heart. Their weapons were smeared in blood and they had enough marks on them that would heal messily, a reminder of what went down.

Every time they rush each other and clash, the noise of their swords drowns out their own heavy breathing, exhausted limbs being pushed to their limits as they got at each other. Damianos having to throw up protective barriers to stop stray elements from going back and hitting his children, while also keeping them away from the fight despite how badly they want to punish Tim. The ground is scorched in some areas, slick with blood and water in others.

“Your mother never accepted you, but she believed that I was-!”

“An interesting enough toy to pass the time with, trust me she was less impressed by you than Damianos.”

Hand gripping one of Tim’s shoulders while the other worked its way through his chest from behind, she pulled it back as he crumples to the ground. Behind him stands Athanasia with her hand bloodied but the rest of her was as impeccably clean as always, sharp eyes and an eyebrow pointed up as she looked over Damianos with mild disgust twisting her lip. He was not looking even close to his best, barely staying on his feet against an enemy.

“What are you-?”

“The reason I stayed by mothers’ side was so she would ease off you, when it did not work how I wished it to and you fled I stayed there so that I could monitor her, she trusts me enough to let me in on things every now and again, I apologize for not being here since the beginning, but I needed to end it.”

“Thank you.”

No longer needing to stay on his feet Damianos collapsed forward as his body slowly works his magic into healing himself instead of protecting and attacking, knocked out with exhaustion and despair as his sister walks towards them. She looks harsh, features quite like her mothers but the children follow her lead as she picks up her brother and walks towards the house. Checking up on them as best she can while she leads the way, watchful eyes assessing them for injuries.

While he sleeps Athanasia heals the children and puts her own magic out into helping the forest heal from the fight, its connection to Damianos and Dick in particular help it to cooperate and forgive them for what went down. She also digs the graves while the children mourn, burning the bodies of their enemies and burying Jason and Stephanie side by side. Engraving their tombstones with her fingers, fixing what she can for her brother.

It is not much but when he wakes up a week later, she promises to guide them all back to Bruce’s house, Athanasia stays upon Damianos request and they empty the tree of their belongings until it returns back into being a solid tree in the forest. Damianos works up enough reserved magic to manipulate space and bring the two children’s graves over with them, it tires him out, but he reaffirms it was worth it when Bruce, their father, is allowed to grieve over his lost children.

“When you are ready, we can take on mother together.”

“Even if it kills me, I will take down our mother no matter what.”


End file.
